SAT Subject Test Requirements and Recommendations

Carnegie Mellon University now recommends, rather than requires, Subject Tests. Recommendations for specific programs can be found on the university’s website. Note that the recommendation is still strong for most students: “Some students may find the cost of taking and submitting SAT Subject Tests to be prohibitive. Applicants won’t be penalized if the cost of taking the SAT Subject Tests causes financial hardship and as a result, prohibits their submission.”

Tufts has dropped its Subject Test requirements. The university now requires only SAT or ACT. “We do not require SAT Subject Tests, the SAT Essay, or the writing section of the ACT; you may submit those scores to Tufts if you choose to sit for these sections, but please note that they are not required and sending them will not increase a student’s likelihood of admission.”

Harvard University now recommends two Subject Tests except in cases of financial hardship: “While we recommend that you submit two SAT Subject Tests, you may apply without them if the cost of the tests represents a financial hardship or if you prefer to have your application considered without them…The decision whether to take Subject Tests is entirely up to you. You should ask yourself whether other academic credentials including, but not limited to, AP results, IB marks, A Levels grades, etc., adequately represent your suitability for studying at Harvard. If there is any doubt, you should take two Subject Tests.”

Brown requires the SAT or the ACT. They recommend, but do not require, the submission of two SAT Subject Tests of the student's choice. Liberal Medical Education Applicants should submit at least 1 science Subject Test.

Carnegie Mellon requires the SAT or ACT. CMU recommends 2 SAT Subject Tests (for most applicants). Subject recommendations vary by program, but include Math (Level 1 or Level 2). College of Fine Arts programs, with the exception of Architecture, do not recommend Subject Tests. Carnegie Mellon will only accept scores from tests taken during 11th or 12th grade.

Duke recommends the SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing. It also recommends 2 SAT Subject Tests if applicants submit SAT. Subject Tests are considered if applicants submit ACT. "Applicants to the Pratt School of Engineering who take the SAT are strongly recommended to take one SAT Subject Test in Mathematics (level 1 or level 2)."

Emory requires the SAT or ACT. "SAT II subject exams are encouraged, but not required. Students are encouraged to submit SAT subject exam scores for academics areas of strength and/or interest. Since these exams are not required, students have the choice of which subject exams they want to report."

Georgetown requires the SAT or ACT and does not consider the essay from either test. Georgetown strongly recommends 3 Subject Tests. Students who are applying Early Action will still receive full consideration even if they have not yet taken all of their Subject Test exams. However, Georgetown recommends that such students still take Subject Tests in time for the Regular Decision deadline in the event that they are deferred to Regular Decision. Applicants are required to submit all College Board and ACT scores.

Harvard requires the SAT or ACT (with or without writing). Two SAT Subject Tests are recommended. "While we recommend that you submit two SAT Subject Tests, you may apply without them if the cost of the tests represents a financial hardship or if you prefer to have your application considered without them."

Penn requires the SAT or ACT. Any 2 Subject Tests are recommended for arts, humanities, and social sciences applicants. STEM applicants are strongly encouraged to take Math Level 2 and a science Subject Test (Physics recommended for engineering applicants). Math Level 2 is recommended for business applicants. Nursing applicants are encouraged to submit a science Subject Test (preferably, Chemistry).

Webb requires the SAT or ACT and recommends the writing section is included. "SAT Subject Tests or AP Tests, particularly those in math and the sciences can demonstrate a student's strengths in those areas to the Admissions Committee. In those cases, we recommend that students submit these scores as part of the admissions process."

Boston University requires the SAT or ACT and considers Subject Tests if submitted. Accelerated medical and dental programs require Subject Tests in Chemistry and Math 2. A Subject Test in a foreign language is also recommended for these programs.

Connecticut College is test optional. Students may choose to submit the SAT, 2 Subject Tests, or the ACT if they wish. "If you submit multiple SAT Subject Tests, we will consider your two highest scores from two different tests."

Johns Hopkins requires the SAT or ACT. Students may submit Subject Tests as a "way to demonstrate an academic strength . . . Engineering applicants are encouraged to submit Math Level 2 and one science."

Stanford requires the SAT or ACT. "SAT Subject Tests are optional. Because SAT Subject Test scores can highlight your areas of strength, we welcome the self-reporting of these results in your application."

Stevens requires the SAT or ACT. Subject Tests in Math (Level 1 or 2) and either Chemistry or Biology are required for the Accelerated Medical Program. Musical or Visual Arts and Technology applicants may submit a portfolio in lieu of test scores.

Union is test optional except for the Law and Public Policy Program and the Leadership in Medicine Program. The 6-year law program requires the SAT or ACT. The 8-year medical program requires either the ACT with Writing or the SAT and 2 Subject Tests: one science and one math.

UC Berkeley requires the SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing and considers Subject Tests if submitted. College of Chemistry and College of Engineering recommend Math Level 2 and a science related to the applicant's intended major.

UC Irvine requires the SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing and considers Subject Tests if submitted. School of Engineering, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Physical Sciences, and Program in Public Health all have specific Subject Test recommendations.

UCLA requires the SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing and considers Subject Tests if submitted. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences recommends Math Level 2 and a science test related to the applicant's intended major.

UC Riverside requires the SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing and considers Subject Tests if submitted. College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and College of Engineering recommend Math Level 2 and either Chemistry or Physics.

UC San Diego requires the SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing and considers Subject Tests if submitted. Biological or physical science applicants and applicants to the School of Engineering should take Math Level 2 and a science Subject Test related to the applicant's intended major.

UC Santa Barbara requires the SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing and considers Subject Tests if submitted. Math Level 2 is recommended for College of Engineering applicants and College of Creative Studies applicants in math, physics, or computer science. In addition, physics, biology, chemistry, and biochemistry majors are encouraged to take the appropriate science Subject Test.

UD is test optional for Delaware residents but requires the SAT or ACT for out of state students. UD will consider SAT Subject Tests if submitted. Two SAT Subject Tests are strongly recommended for applicants to the University Honors Program.

Wesleyan is test optional. SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests will be considered if submitted. All entering first-year students are asked to submit ACT or SAT and/or two SAT Subject Test scores after the conclusion of the admission process for academic counseling and placement; however, "Wesleyan will not require any matriculating student who did not take an ACT, SAT or SAT II to take exams prior to enrolling."

Hamilton's testing requirements are satisfied with 1 of the following options: (1) SAT (Essay optional) (2) ACT (Writing optional) (3) Three exams of the student's choice, including one verbal or writing/essay, one quantitative, and one exam of the student's choice from among SAT sections, ACT Writing, SAT Subject Tests, AP scores, and IB final exams.

NYU's testing requirements are satisfied with one of the following options: (A) SAT (B) ACT (C) 3 Subject Tests (D) 3 AP exams (E) The International Baccalaureate Diploma (F) 3 IB higher-level exams (if a student is not an IB Diploma candidate). Students who choose to submit three SAT Subject Test, AP, or IB scores must submit one in literature or the humanities, one in math or science, and one of the student's choice. Some programs have additional requirements.

Colleges Using SAT Subject Tests in the 2020–2021 Admission Process
The table above can be sorted alphabetically or by policy. You will find the college name linked to that school’s standardized testing policy. Keep in mind that a one-word category cannot encompass all situations, which is why the detail is provided. For example, some schools consider Subject Tests for most students but require them for specialized programs. Below, you can expand each policy summary to read a more detailed description.

Colleges listed as Required have Subject Test policies that require at least a large portion of students to submit scores. In most cases, this means 2 Subject Tests in different subjects. Almost half of the colleges in this group actually allow for the ACT to substitute for both the SAT and SAT Subject Tests. We have left these colleges labeled Required, since SAT submitters will need to take Subject Tests. An applicant should always ask whether an ACT or the SAT Combo Pack better reflects his or her capabilities (and should keep the qualifications of other applicants firmly in mind). Needless to say, an applicant should be making these decisions with input from parents, counselors, and test experts.

Colleges listed as Recommended range from those schools who find it useful for students to submit SAT Subject Test scores to those who fall just short of Required (Georgetown, Princeton, and Yale come to mind).

Colleges listed as Considered are those who view Subject Tests as optional “supplemental information.” We only list colleges that specifically mention Subject Tests (or SAT IIs as many admission sites still refer to them). Even in this group, Subject Test scores can be important. Stanford, for example, considers the exams optional, but Subject Tests are an important way in which students can make their testing portfolios stand out at one of the most selective universities in the country.

Colleges listed as Alternative are the small but growing number of schools that allow an applicant to submit Subject Test scores in lieu of SAT and ACT scores.

Trending FlexibleEach year, the requirements and recommendations around SAT Subject Tests (SAT IIs for the many still using the old College Board name) grow more diverse. Colleges may find Subject Tests helpful, but they are not always in agreement about how the exams are helpful. The general trend is toward more flexible requirements, and no school has recently tightened requirements. Still, the most competitive colleges in the country tend to be found on this list and skew toward the “required” end of the spectrum.

Safer, Saner, and SoonerMany colleges, in the words of Carleton College, feel that SAT Subject Tests “usually enhance a candidate’s credentials.” It’s the “usually” part that can make parents and students queasy. At Compass, we spend a lot of time discussing such fears. Practice tests are easy to take, score, and analyze—Compass offers free Subject Test exams almost every weekend of the year. Proctored practice tests are a safer, saner, and sooner alternative to waiting for an exam date to roll around and taking Subject Tests cold.

Homeschooled and International StudentsHomeschooled students and international applicants should not depend upon this list. The requirements for both groups can be considerably more rigorous. Colleges prefer more data points to better understand these applicants’ academic strengths. Homeschoolers should spend the extra time searching out the testing policies of every college to which they might apply.

Updates for the class of 2018

Stanford has softened its policy from recommended to considered.

Brown University requires the SAT with writing or the ACT with writing. They recommend, but do not require, the submission of two SAT Subject Tests of the student’s choice.

Williams College has dropped SAT Subject Tests; University of Virginia has dropped Subject Tests from recommended to considered; George Washington University is now test optional.

Many of the schools listed below have dropped the Writing requirement for applicants submitting ACT scores, while some have added the SAT Essay as a requirement for applicants submitting SAT scores. [See our list of SAT Essay and ACT Writing requirements for updates and details.]

About
Art Sawyer

Art graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where he was the top-ranked liberal arts student in his class. Art pioneered the one-on-one approach to test prep in California in 1989 and co-founded Compass Education Group in 2004 in order to bring the best ideas and tutors into students' homes and computers. Although he has attained perfect scores on all flavors of the SAT and ACT, he is routinely beaten in backgammon.